1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a purified flavoring agent represented by the formula: EQU CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.n CH(CH.sub.3)OCOR
wherein n is 2 or 4 and R is a lower alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms. The flavoring agent may be used in a wide variety of ingestible vehicles such as chewing gum compositions, hard and soft confections, dairy products, juice products, and the like. The present invention also pertains to methods for preparing and using the flavoring agents and the ingestible products in which they may be used.
2. Description of the Background
The Generessence.TM. flavor research program conducted by Bush Boake Allen focuses on developing flavors by employing in depth understanding of the volatile organic components present in a wide variety of samples, for example fruits and herbs and coupling this information to flavor preference profiling. A number of sampling and analytical techniques are used including, headspace analysis of the growing sample. The flavors are primarily formulated from synthetic chemicals and contain only components identified in the sample. There is no limit to the concentration of individual components used apart from organoleptic considerations. A problem with developing flavoring agents for fruity materials, such as banana, is that natural fruits do not contain a single flavoring agent, but rather contain a complex mixture of volatile components making identification of characteristic flavors very difficult.
Food Technol. (Chicago) Nov. 23 (1969) 1435; (Issenberg) discloses volatile components identified by capillary column GC-MS analysis in the headspace vapor of banana (Table 4). Z. Naturforsch. B 24 (1969) 781; (Tressel et al.) discloses a gas chromatographic separation of aromatic materials in banana including a table listing 183 flavor compounds, approximately 350 compounds were separated by gas chromatography. Z. Lebensm. Unters. Forsch. 142 (1970) 313; (Tressel et al.) discloses the gas chromatographic identification of 60 esters, 40 alcohols, 28 carbonyl groups, and 4 phenyethers in banana including iso-amyl acetate. Chem. Mikrobiol. Technol. Lebensm. 10 (1986) 120; (Berger et al.) discloses 15 volatile trace components in banana.
While the above disclosures provide some insight into the flavoring components in banana, none of the above disclosures provide satisfactory banana flavoring agents. The present invention provides novel flavoring agents without the disadvantages which are characteristic of previously known products. The flavoring agents may be used in a wide variety of ingestible vehicles. The present invention also provides methods for preparing and using these flavoring agents and the ingestible compositions in which they may be employed.